Sands Hotel and Spa
44985 Province Way
Indian Wells, CA
Marrakech by way of mid-century Palm Springs.
About Sands Hotel and Spa
The Sands began as The Sands at Indian Hills during Indian Wells' 1950s golf-resort boom, a mid-century motor lodge in one of the Coachella Valley's most exclusive enclaves. In 2018 it reopened as the Sands Hotel and Spa after a complete redesign by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, one of Architectural Digest's top interior designers in the world. Bullard fused his signature Moroccan influence with the desert's enduring mid-century glamour, giving every room its own color story and custom textiles rather than a single repeating template. The result is theatrical without tipping into costume: pink and yellow zebra stripes, lattice cabinetry, Moroccan fountains, and bold pattern layered against clean desert lines. The Pink Cabana restaurant, praised by Conde Nast Traveler and others, anchors the social heart of the property near the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and El Paseo.
What Sands Hotel and Spa Is Known For
The Sands is one of a very small number of desert motor lodges to be reborn as a fully realized designer hotel by a top-tier name and pull it off. Bullard did not simply refresh the property; he wrote it a complete visual language, room by room, and it holds together as a single immersive world. Paired with The Pink Cabana, which earns national dining attention on its own, the Sands functions as a destination people build a trip around rather than a place they pass through.
Amenities
- The Pink Cabana restaurant and bar
- Cabana-surrounded pool
- Moroccan-inspired spa in an olive grove
- Private wedding and event garden
- In-room Moroccan tile fountains
- Custom Bullard-designed interiors in every room
What Guests Love
- Every room was individually designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard with its own color story, bespoke furniture, and custom textiles.
- The Pink Cabana restaurant is a destination in its own right, earning national dining recognition.
- Ground-floor rooms open to private patios, many with their own Moroccan tile fountain.
- The cabana-ringed pool and olive-grove spa make the property feel like a self-contained resort.
Worth Knowing
- Rooms on the upper floor can pick up some road noise from the nearby highway; a ground-floor room is worth requesting if you are a light sleeper.
- Each room has its own distinct color scheme and design, so it is worth browsing room types before booking if you have a preference.
- The Pink Cabana is popular with locals as well as guests, so reserve a dinner table when you book your stay.
- Indian Wells hosts a major tennis tournament each spring, when the whole area books up fast.
The Room
No two rooms are quite alike. Bullard gave each its own palette and mix of bespoke furniture and custom textiles, so a stay feels curated rather than assigned. Lattice-work cabinets open into full mini-bars, chairs come upholstered in pink or yellow zebra stripe, and beds are deep and plush. Ground-floor rooms open onto private patios, many with their own small Moroccan tile fountain; upper rooms trade the patio for a balcony. Pattern is everywhere, from tile to textile, but the effect is layered and considered rather than busy. It is the kind of room where the design is the reason you booked, and it delivers.
The Grounds
The compound centers on a cabana-ringed pool where much of the day unfolds, drinks and lunch drifting out from The Pink Cabana under the palms. An olive grove shelters the Moroccan-inspired spa and its intimate treatment rooms, and a private garden hosts weddings and events. Parking is free and on site. The two-story layout keeps every room reachable by exterior walkway, patio, or balcony, and the San Rosa mountains rise beyond the courtyard. The whole property reads like a set, but a livable one, with shade, water, and color arranged for lingering.
The Experience
A day here has a rhythm: coffee on the patio, a long stretch by the cabana pool, a treatment in the olive grove, and dinner at The Pink Cabana as the light turns pink on the mountains. The restaurant is a destination in its own right, drawing valley regulars for chef-driven Mediterranean cooking with a Moroccan accent, so the property never feels sleepy. Yet because each room is its own world, the stay still feels personal. Guests come for the design and stay for the sense of being somewhere with a strong, specific point of view.
Details
Indian Wells, CA 92210
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sands Hotel and Spa pet friendly?
No, Sands Hotel and Spa does not accept pets. You can filter the Road Trip Planner map for pet-friendly Boutels nearby.
Does Sands Hotel and Spa have EV charging?
No, Sands Hotel and Spa does not have on-site EV charging. The Road Trip Planner map shows public chargers near the property.
Does Sands Hotel and Spa serve breakfast?
No, breakfast is not included at Sands Hotel and Spa.
What is there to do near Sands Hotel and Spa?
Indian Wells Tennis Garden: 1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. El Paseo Shopping District: 4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens: 7 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is Sands Hotel and Spa from Indian Wells Tennis Garden?
Indian Wells Tennis Garden is about 1.5 miles from Sands Hotel and Spa, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is Sands Hotel and Spa from El Paseo Shopping District?
El Paseo Shopping District is about 4 miles from Sands Hotel and Spa, roughly a 10 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is Sands Hotel and Spa from Living Desert Zoo and Gardens?
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is about 7 miles from Sands Hotel and Spa, roughly a 15 minute drive.
Who designed the Sands Hotel and Spa?
The Sands Hotel and Spa was completely redesigned in 2018 by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, one of Architectural Digest's top interior designers in the world.
Does the Sands Hotel and Spa have a restaurant?
Yes. The Pink Cabana serves chef-driven Mediterranean food with a Moroccan influence and is a destination in its own right.
Does the Sands Hotel and Spa have a pool?
Yes. There is a cabana-surrounded pool at the center of the property.
Does the Sands Hotel and Spa have a spa?
Yes. The Moroccan-inspired spa sits in an olive grove and offers massages, facials, and body treatments.
How far is the Sands Hotel and Spa from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden?
The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is about 1.5 miles away, roughly a 5-minute drive.
Are the rooms at the Sands Hotel and Spa all the same?
No. Each room has its own color scheme, bespoke furniture, and custom textiles, so no two rooms are quite alike.
How can I give feedback on a property I stayed at?
If you are a guest that stayed at the property, we would love feedback about your experience. Boutels listed on this site do not pay to be included nor can they pay to be sponsored or promoted. Your feedback matters. Please .
I’m affiliated with this property and have feedback on this listing.
We’d love to learn more about your property. To provide images, simply log in as a member (it’s free), find your listing on the map, choose “Visited,” and you’ll be given the option to upload images and leave a note. You can also and we’ll be in touch, just be sure to provide us with contact information in that form. Thanks!
Things to Do Near the Coachella Valley
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
1.0 miles away
The Living Desert is a zoo and botanical garden in Palm Desert focused specifically on desert ecosystems from around the world.
Indian Canyons
11 miles away
Indian Canyons is a set of palm-shaded desert canyons in the San Jacinto foothills just south of Palm Springs, cared for by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Palm Springs Art Museum
13 miles away
A surprisingly serious art museum for a desert resort town, and a landmark of Palm Springs midcentury desert modernism in its own right.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
18 miles away
The world's largest rotating tram car climbs two and a half miles up the sheer walls of Chino Canyon, lifting you from the hot desert floor of Palm Springs to the cool pine forest of Mount San Jacinto State Park in about...
Cabot's Pueblo Museum
18 miles away
Cabot Yerxa homesteaded this patch of desert and spent the last quarter century of his life, from 1941 to 1965, hand-building a rambling four-story pueblo out of salvaged and reclaimed materials, with 35 rooms, 150 windo...
Joshua Tree National Park
28 miles away
Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, dotted with twisting Joshua trees and giant granite boulders.
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
1.5 miles, about a 5-minute drive, home to the BNP Paribas Open and one of the most celebrated tennis venues in the country.
El Paseo Shopping District
4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
4 miles, about a 10-minute drive into Palm Desert, a palm-lined stretch of galleries, boutiques, and restaurants often called the Rodeo Drive of the desert.